Masdar Institute's Research and Innovations Highlighted During UAE Innovation Week 2016

New Collaborative Undertakings, Knowledge-Sharing and Campus Events Among Weeklong Activities 
 
Abu Dhabi-UAE: 26 November, 2016:  The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology marked UAE Innovation Week 2016 with a number of dynamic initiatives, including presenting innovative research findings at external events and on campus, academic knowledge sharing with research collaboration partners, and entering into new partnerships for future innovation.

Organized from 20-26 November 2016 by the government, Innovation Week was a concerted effort by the government, private sector and individuals to advance the culture of innovation in the UAE. As a research-based graduate level academic institution focusing on clean energy and advanced technologies, Masdar Institute marked the occasion by showcasing and furthering its contributions to the UAE’s innovation goals.

Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost, Masdar Institute, said: “Masdar Institute was established by the visionary UAE leadership with the express purpose of supporting and accelerating innovation in the UAE, which is why Innovation Week is such an important event for us. We are proud to share our achievements and expand our collaborative research to help achieve the country’s prosperous and sustainable future.”

As a central event in its celebration of innovation this week, Masdar Institute was a strategic partner for the Innovation Live! Summit 2016, an official anchor platform during the UAE Innovation Week 2016 that gathered over 1,000 senior executives from government and businesses to discuss and further shape innovation in the UAE. 

To highlight the role of academic institutions in developing the critical intellectual and human capital required for the UAE’s innovative future, Dr. Al Yousuf was a keynote speaker at the Arab Knowledge Forum organized by the UAE University Leadership Council. There, she discussed the importance of competitive science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in developing the country’s men and women into future innovators.

Additionally, Masdar Institute participated in activities hosted by one of its collaborators, Etihad Airways. Various research projects were chosen for display at the Etihad Innovation Center including an aviation weather decision support system to assist the national airline of the UAE during fog events. Another project focused on developing novel types of lightweight, strong, and damage-tolerant 3D printable materials and composites with applications for aircraft while the third project highlighted advanced urban microclimate energy modeling that could help to understand how urban design, including building retrofits, can contribute to reduced energy demand and provide knowledge applicable to aircraft hangar bays.

Further demonstrating its focus on cutting-edge technologies, Masdar Institute also organized the 8th Joint TwinLab Workshop of the TwinLab 3D Stacked Chip (3DSC) Center. The workshop, which was held in partnership with the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), provided a platform for knowledge sharing among faculty and students on the topic of 3D chip stacking. 

Through its participation at the ‘Innovation Exhibition’ hosted by the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, Masdar Institute contributed to a celebration of the role of innovation in improving daily life in the UAE, as demonstrated by two of its innovative projects relevant to smart cities and security technology, displayed at the event.

Masdar Institute further built on its track record of innovative research this week, as it embarked on the next stage of an air quality monitoring project with the UAE Ministry for Climate Change and Environment that will use satellite imagery and advanced monitoring technologies to provide accurate and prompt air quality information across the country. This project is the next step in the process to ultimately establish a comprehensive and robust system for the monitoring of air quality conditions in the UAE. 

Throughout the week, Masdar Institute’s faculty participated in speaking opportunities throughout Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, discussing the Institute’s innovative research in areas of strategic relevance to the UAE, including water, renewable and clean energy, and space. During the week, Masdar Institute celebrated the UAE’s progress towards becoming one of the world’s most innovative nations, and the role it continues to play in developing a generation of sustainability professionals who will lead the UAE’s knowledge economy into the future.